Garlic Green Beans
Bright, snappy green beans blanched, then blistered in butter with golden slices of garlic and a little lemon zest.
Nutrition per serving
1 cup- Net carbs
- 5.7g
- Calories
- 119kcal
- Protein
- 2.3g
- Fat
- 9.3g
- Total carbs
- 8.8 g
- Fiber
- 3.2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Almondine: The French classic: sliced almonds toasted golden in the butter and a squeeze of lemon to finish. A holiday-table favorite.
- Before the beans go in, toast the almonds in the foaming butter and oil for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- Cook the beans and garlic as written, then return the almonds with the lemon zest and juice.
Sichuan-style with pork: Inspired by Sichuan dry-fried green beans: blistered beans tossed with crispy ground pork, ginger, chili and tamari. Dairy-free.
- Skip the blanching. Dry the raw beans well and fry them in the avocado and olive oils over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until blistered and wrinkled. Push them to the side of the pan.
- Add the pork and ginger and cook 4–5 minutes, breaking up the meat, until browned and crispy with no pink left (160°F/71°C). Add the garlic and pepper flakes for 30 seconds, then toss everything with the tamari and sesame oil. Taste before adding any salt.
Southern bacon & onion: Simmered until tender rather than crisp, with smoky bacon and soft onion — the way they are served at Southern potlucks.
- Skip the blanching. Cook the bacon in the skillet until crisp, then add the olive oil and onion and cook 4 minutes, until soft.
- Add the raw beans, garlic and broth, cover and simmer 10–12 minutes, until tender. Uncover and cook off most of the liquid, then season and serve.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 tsp lemon zestleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 tsp lemon zestleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $4.12 for 4 servings ($1.03 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water next to the stove.
-
Blanch the beans for 3–4 minutes (about 2 minutes for thin haricots verts), until bright green and crisp-tender — bite one to check. Transfer them straight into the ice water, then drain and pat dry.
-
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the beans and cook 3–4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until hot and blistered in spots.
-
Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic (and pepper flakes, if using) and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is pale golden and fragrant.
-
Season with the salt, pepper and lemon zest and serve right away.
Tips for success
-
The ice bath locks in the color and snap, and it means you can blanch the beans up to 2 days ahead — they then need only 5 minutes in the pan before dinner. - Garlic goes in last. Thin slices turn golden in about a minute, and burnt garlic makes the whole dish bitter.
- For crunch, finish with crumbled bacon or toasted slivered almonds. Great next to roast chicken or meatloaf.
Nice to have, not needed
- An ice bath keeps the beans bright green and snappy — without one, spread them on a tray to cool quickly.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Reheat in a hot skillet for 2–3 minutes, or serve cold in salads.
Prep tip: Blanch and chill the beans up to 2 days ahead; on the night they need only about 5 minutes in the pan.
Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet for 2–3 minutes.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosAlmondine
FlavorThe French classic: sliced almonds toasted golden in the butter and a squeeze of lemon to finish. A holiday-table favorite.
- + ¼ cup sliced almonds
- + 1 tbsp lemon juice
6.5 g net · 160 kcal · 3.8 g protein · 13 g fat · ≈$1.16 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
Sichuan-style with pork
FlavorInspired by Sichuan dry-fried green beans: blistered beans tossed with crispy ground pork, ginger, chili and tamari. Dairy-free.
- butter → avocado oil
- + 4 oz ground pork
- + 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- + 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- no lemon zest
6.2 g net · 175 kcal · 7.8 g protein · 13 g fat · ≈$1.38 per serving (+0.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Southern bacon & onion
FlavorSimmered until tender rather than crisp, with smoky bacon and soft onion — the way they are served at Southern potlucks.
- butter → bacon
- + ½ medium onion
- + ½ cup chicken broth
- no lemon zest
7 g net · 146 kcal · 7.7 g protein · 9 g fat · ≈$1.27 per serving (+1.3 g net carbs vs the original)
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